


A Pleasant View

by GothicPrincessWitch



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Public Displays of Affection, Purple Hawke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 14:39:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13526388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothicPrincessWitch/pseuds/GothicPrincessWitch
Summary: Hawke will take any excuse he can to go to the Gallows in order to “spontaneously” run into and then kiss Knight-Captain Cullen.





	A Pleasant View

**Author's Note:**

> This is the same purple warrior Hawke who appears in my fic The Royal Treatment.

The sun is shining. The sky is bright. The stench of sewage coming off the sea is a bit less rank than usual. It’s as beautiful of a day as Kirkwall can get as Hawke, with bits of sticky webs and blue spider blood splashed across his plate armor and the massive battle axe strapped to his back, sets a bag of giant spider silk glands atop Solivitus’s booth in the Gallows.

“There you are, Sol. I brought you a dozen of them.” Hawke grins, charming as ever.

“Thank you, my young friend,” says the mage, quickly moving the bag before its dripping contents soil his wares. “These will be very helpful for my craft, and it’s far too dangerous for to me to acquire them myself.”

Solivitus hands over the reward, and Hawke then gives half the coins to Fenris, whose white hair is stained from spider blood.

Turning back to Solivitus, Hawke says with a nonchalant shrug, “Lucky for you, diving into a nest of giant spiders and cutting them up is my idea of a good time.”

Beside him Fenris scoffs.

“Let me know when you’ve got more work for me,” Hawke continues, “especially anything involving dragons. I’ll jump on any available excuse to go fight dragons, really. I can handle any danger you throw my way because I am just that brilliant, as my companion here will attest.”

Fenris scoffs again, but this time it’s more of a chuckle.

Solivitus assures Hawke that he shall and then thanks then again before bidding them good day.

“Well, that was fun,” Hawke remarks while he and Fenris walk away from the potions stand. He tries brushing a strand of spiderweb off his pauldron, only to get the web stuck on his gauntlet instead.

“Is that what you have to say about it?” Fenris says dryly.

“As opposed to...?”

“ ‘Thank you for saving my life, Fenris, when I fell and was nearly devoured by spiders. I couldn’t have done it without you, Fenris. I’m fortunate that you have nothing pressing to do so that you can follow me on these insipid little adventures,’” is Fenris’s snarky response, although his sarcastic manner is belied by the teasing smirk playing upon his lips.

Hawke makes a faux-offended sound and interjects, “Hey, I happen to know you love coming along on my insipid adventures. And the not insipid ones.”

“That is true,” Fenris concedes.

When they reach the row of pillars leading to the entrance of the Gallows, Hawke stops, his eyes scanning across the courtyard, causing Fenris to stop walking as well. Hawke attempts to lean casually against a stone column, but giant axe digs into his back, so that doesn’t quite work out as planned. Killing monsters for gold (with his friend’s invaluable assistance) is exciting work and all, but it’s really just an excuse to come here and watch...

Fenris waits patiently for several minutes before crossing his arms over his chest and asking, “Is there a reason we’re lingering in the Gallows?”

Nonchalantly sweeping his arm across the Gallows courtyard, Hawke answers breezily, “I’m just enjoying the view.”

Fenris glances up at the ancient Tevinter statues depicting chained slaves wailing in anguish, and he raises an eyebrow.

“How pleasant,” he deadpans.

“Pleasant indeed,” Hawke laughs. Then a glint of gold catches his eye.

Ah, finally.

He turns to Fenris and gestures to himself. “How do I look?”

Fenris’s large green eyes flick over him. “Handsome and overly smug as usual, for a man splattered with spider remains.”

“Excellent! Now, if you’ll excuse me for a moment...”

Hawke casually saunters across the courtyard and pretends to look surprised when he runs into Cullen Rutherford.

“Why, Knight-Captain, fancy meeting you here!” he exclaims in delight.

“This is the Gallows, where I work. It’s hardly a coincidence to find me here,” says Cullen, a faint blush coloring his face. He shifts awkwardly.

Hawke beams at Cullen, at his unruly golden curls, at his chiseled jawline, the ruggedly handsome features beneath the careworn worry lines, the dark shadows below piercing amber eyes, the powerful muscles hidden beneath heavy armor. Hawke has always had a weakness for men in armor. Years ago in the camp at Ostagar, he would irritate his brother Carver to no end by flirting with every soldier in their garrison. And there’s something Hawke has found particularly alluring about men in Templar armor, since way back in Lothering when he’d developed a crush on Ser Bryant and Ser Maron.

It’s the knight in shining armor thing. It has to be. And there’s no knight quite so handsome as Knight-Captain Cullen, especially with that Maker-blessed blush of his.

“Well, I just happened to be passing by, enjoying the view, as it were, and it’s lucky I found you,” says Hawke smoothly. He’s rewarded with the sight of Cullen’s blush deepening.

“How long were you waiting for me?” asks Cullen.

Hawke shrugs. “Oh, a quarter of an hour or so. But I’d wait for you all day if you’d agree to come to dinner with me.”

Cullen frowns and says, “The last time you brought me home for dinner, your mother spent the entire conversation pointedly mention her noble friends’ daughters and the advantages of an arranged marriage. I’m not eager to suffer through that humiliation again.”

“OK, in retrospect, introducing you to my mother on our third date wasn’t my best idea,” Hawke must concede that point, “but in my defense, I’d brought you to my house for, well, you know, other things after dinner which she wasn’t supposed to interrupt.”

He hadn’t thought it possible for Cullen to appear even more awkward and flustered, but somehow Cullen manages.

“We’ll go out somewhere in Hightown this time,” Hawke continues. “Some sumptuous, fancy place where you can seduce me with wine and candlelight.”

Cullen’s scarred lips curve into a smile, and he’s still blushing, and Hawke’s heart is completely melting from how adorable he looks.

“Very well, dinner tonight,” Cullen agrees with a nod.

Smiling victoriously, Hawke leans forward for a kiss, but Cullen stops him. “Hawke, your armor... It’s covered in— something.”

“I suppose it is. You’ll just have to remove my armor, then.”

“Oh, is that all? Maker’s breath.” Cullen’s smile widens, and then he leans down to kiss Hawke.

Everything about Cullen is rough edges: rough stubble, rough chapped lips, rough tongue, tough shield around his heart; yet there’s a softness to him as well, a sweetness and tenderness in his kiss, in the way his hands cup Hawke’s face, in the way his eyes and expression lighten, becoming less shadowed, less haunted, less haggard.

Cullen carries a lot of burdens, and Hawke has his own fair share as well, but when they’re together, when they’re kissing like this, the world becomes a little less harsh and a little brighter.

When at last they break apart, breathless, Hawke murmurs, “I’ll see you tonight,” before pressing a gentle kiss to the scar on Cullen’s lip, which causes Cullen’s breath to hitch.

“Tonight...”

Fenris is still waiting patiently by the Gallows entrance when Hawke returns to him. The corner of his mouth quirks into a smirk as he says, deadpan, “Did you enjoy your view?”

Hawke grins. “It was very pleasant.”

Fenris’s laughter fills the air.


End file.
